American, 1932 - 2010
Joseph Dankowski was born in Camden, NJ, on September 2, 1932, and began his artistic career as a painter and sculptor. After moving to New York City in 1958, Dankowski took up photography, and worked mostly in black and white reportage style, influenced by Eugène Atget, Harry Callahan, Robert Frank and Bruce Davidson. He is best known for his 50 print portfolio of "Manholes and Gutters" (1969-71). Twenty of his Manholes are currently on exhibit in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
1971, the NEA, in its Visual Arts Program, instituted a pilot program in photography. The newly created program allocated $47,000 for photography fellowships. The Visual Arts Panel was comprised of Alan Fern of the Library of Congress, Van Deren Coke, and John Szarkowski. Of the over 400 applications received, 23 individual grants ranging from $750 to $4,000 were given. Only four of the 23 photographers were given $3,000 and $4,000. Joseph Dankowski was among them.
Dankowski's work is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern, New York, The Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Bowdoin College Museum of Art, and private collections.
Exhibitions
Museum of Modern Art, N.Y.C., Steichen Gallery – 20 prints, 2011-2012
Museum of Modern Art, N.Y.C., Multiple Images, 1993
Exposed and Developed, Smithsonian National Museum of American Art, Washington, D.C., 1984
The Maine Festival at Bowdoin, Brunswick, Maine, 1984
One man show, United Church of Christ, Greenville, Maine, 1984
Competition, Walt Kuhn Gallery, Cape Neddick, Maine, 1983
One man show, Prescott Street Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts, 1981
Museum of Modern Art, N.Y.C., Mirrors and Windows, 1978
Group show, Open Space Gallery, Bangor, Maine, 1978
First Corcoran Invitational, Washington D.C., 1972
Museum of Modern Art, N.Y.C., New Acquisitions, 1970
Group show, Underground Gallery, N.Y.C., Dec. 1969
Group show, Underground Gallery, N.Y.C., June 1969
One man show, Parents Magazine Gallery, May 1968
Published
Exposed and Developed, National Endowment for the Arts, 1984
Mirrors and Windows, John Szarkowski, 1978
The Art of Photography, Time Life Books, 1971
Popular Photo Italiana, March 1970, Portfolio
Popular Photo Annual, 1970
U.S. Camera Annual, 1969
Popular Photo Annual, 1968
Camera 35, December 1967, Portfolio
Art Directions, September 1967, Portfolio
The Genre of Silence, June 1967, Cover and Portfolio
Infinity, May 1967, Portfolio
Fawcett Publications, 1966
Education
Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1957-1960
Arts Students League, N.Y.C., 1961
Joseph Dankowski was born in Camden, NJ, on September 2, 1932, and began his artistic career as a painter and sculptor. After moving to New York City in 1958, Dankowski took up photography, and worked mostly in black and white reportage style, influenced by Eugène Atget, Harry Callahan, Robert Frank and Bruce Davidson. He is best known for his 50 print portfolio of "Manholes and Gutters" (1969-71). Twenty of his Manholes are currently on exhibit in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
1971, the NEA, in its Visual Arts Program, instituted a pilot program in photography. The newly created program allocated $47,000 for photography fellowships. The Visual Arts Panel was comprised of Alan Fern of the Library of Congress, Van Deren Coke, and John Szarkowski. Of the over 400 applications received, 23 individual grants ranging from $750 to $4,000 were given. Only four of the 23 photographers were given $3,000 and $4,000. Joseph Dankowski was among them.
Dankowski's work is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern, New York, The Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Bowdoin College Museum of Art, and private collections.
Exhibitions
Museum of Modern Art, N.Y.C., Steichen Gallery – 20 prints, 2011-2012
Museum of Modern Art, N.Y.C., Multiple Images, 1993
Exposed and Developed, Smithsonian National Museum of American Art, Washington, D.C., 1984
The Maine Festival at Bowdoin, Brunswick, Maine, 1984
One man show, United Church of Christ, Greenville, Maine, 1984
Competition, Walt Kuhn Gallery, Cape Neddick, Maine, 1983
One man show, Prescott Street Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts, 1981
Museum of Modern Art, N.Y.C., Mirrors and Windows, 1978
Group show, Open Space Gallery, Bangor, Maine, 1978
First Corcoran Invitational, Washington D.C., 1972
Museum of Modern Art, N.Y.C., New Acquisitions, 1970
Group show, Underground Gallery, N.Y.C., Dec. 1969
Group show, Underground Gallery, N.Y.C., June 1969
One man show, Parents Magazine Gallery, May 1968
Published
Exposed and Developed, National Endowment for the Arts, 1984
Mirrors and Windows, John Szarkowski, 1978
The Art of Photography, Time Life Books, 1971
Popular Photo Italiana, March 1970, Portfolio
Popular Photo Annual, 1970
U.S. Camera Annual, 1969
Popular Photo Annual, 1968
Camera 35, December 1967, Portfolio
Art Directions, September 1967, Portfolio
The Genre of Silence, June 1967, Cover and Portfolio
Infinity, May 1967, Portfolio
Fawcett Publications, 1966
Education
Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1957-1960
Arts Students League, N.Y.C., 1961